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Gwennafran β Marker Tutorial for Beginners
Published: 2007-02-25 19:06:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 22984; Favourites: 137; Downloads: 479
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This is a marker tutorial primarily aimed for beginners within the subject. It covers some very basic subjects like the materials I usually use for my marker pictures, mistakes that should be avoided, and a step by step walk through of a marker picture.
The style used for shadowing are a very basic cell-shading style, like the one seen in most animes and cartoons. This is the most simple way of colouring with markers, but bear in mind that cell shading in itself can be difficult to master. This tutorial is aimed at people that are new to markers. Not beginners within the art of drawing.
I made it with Pantone Tria markers, but I imagine that the technique will work with other markers as well. Remember, just because I does things this way, it doesn't mean that you can't do them differently.
The markers used are the old Pantone Tria markers. Recently the Pantone Trias have been redesigned, and I do not know how these new markers are to work with.
I made another marker tutorial, building on top of the techniques used in this one, that can be found here: [link]
I hope this will be helpful. I used a lot of time on this.
About purchasing new markers: If you're new to markers, and considers to buy some, here is my advice: Markers are expensive. Don't go out and use hundreds of dollars on a material that you may not like to work with anyway. Start by buying two or three markers, and work a bit with them to see if you like the medium. I suggest buying skin colours, or some other colour that are hard to get otherwise.
Also, be aware that there are two major marker brands. Pantone Tria markers (used in this tutorial) and Copic markers. If possible, I would advice you to buy a marker of each brand, to see which one you prefer to work with.
Once you are absolutely certain, that you cannot live without tons of markers in your home, it can be an advantage to buy a set, and get a numbers discount. Make sure to look for good offers. Often you can find a store that sell a specific set considerably cheaper than everybody else.
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Comments: 55
Well, you could just start with two or three, and then use them together with other materials to get the feel for if you like them. (or do minimalistic colouring with just 2-3 colours)
I would however strongly advise you to also get the proper marker paper for them. Otherwise you don't get the right idea of what they really can do.
I no longer got all the brands down, but I'd say the moment you start paying more, you get more, with the quality usually following the price. Copic Ciao is usually mentioned as a great place to start. You can't refill them, but they're cheaper than the classic markers, and a good place to start.Β
If I were you, I'd try buying a couple of markers from different brands (make a very mixed set), and then find out which brand you like best, or if markers even are for you, before purchasing big.
Should you decide to go all in, it is definitively cheaper to buy a big set than individual markers, though.
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Alright. I'm not that big on the idea of buying several brands, specially since there's a good chance that I'll stick to one or two of them. Maybe I can visit a store and use the help of a clerk for selection. As for the 2-3 markers, should I go for the primary colors or just different shades of the same color?
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Hey! Just saw this in a marker community... I'm aware this submission is a bit old, but - do you know where to buy the Pantone Tria blenders at this day and age? I can never find them! I have the same Trias as you, but could never find the blender released for them. And none of Tria's current marker blenders seem to work nicely with the Pantones here. :<
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I always just got them at the same stores that sold the other markers. I imagine new Tria blenders would work just as well, but I don't know for a fact, so you may have a point.
What sort of paper are you using? The paper used can make a major difference.
Also, the blender is not magic. While it can blend colours a little, it won't give the effect you get with brush heads or similar marker tips. In fact, I've almost stopped using the blender, as the same result can be made simply by working on still wet marker colours (mainly I just use it for large areas, where I apply the blender before the main marker). Looking at your gallery, you seem to blend colours quite well. I'm not sure the blender can make that much of an extra difference for you.
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Thank you kindly for the prompt response! Yeah - I've tried pretty much every new blender, and none of them work. They essentially erase the color (which can be useful, but it's not the effect I'm looking for).
Thank you also for the assessment. I suppose it's just that nagging feeling of not having been able to try out the tool, even if I get close to the effects it can make. I really appreciate your response!
The marker paper I tend to use is a translucent kind. 13.5lb smooth pure rag paper. It seems to work well for me - doesn't over absorb marker ink, though that means the ink dries very quickly, leaving me with very little time to blend. What's your preference?
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I think you have to go online and be lucky, if you want the old blender.
I think the brush tip is more effective if you want smooth blends between colours. I think, I'm not ready to invest in new markers to get it confirmed, but maybe that's what you really want.
I normally by actual marker paper that's coated with a thin layer of wax. I don't know if that's what you're using as well, but if that's the case it's not the paper that's the problem.
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Yeah, I figured finding the old blender was all up to luck at this point, but I had to ask just in case!
I'm not ready to invest in brush tipped markers either, but I suppose that is the answer to extreme soft blending. I think I'll stick to watercolors for that. :3
And yes - what I use is marker paper. I'm not sure if it has a coat of wax though. I'll definitely look into it! Thanks for all the tips!
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I feel a bit silly asking this, cause it should probably be obvious.. lol..
what do the blenders do, exactly..? Do they like.. help to smooth out the surface of the paper so the colors will blend smoother, like a gradient, or do they actually act as a combining tool to bring the colors together to mix?
=w= I just got my first dozen Copics today, lol and people seem to say the blenders are super important.. Oh! Also, how do you clean the blenders..?
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They're are a sort of combining tool. It can be roughly compared to the effect of water when using water colours. If you paint on a wet surface, the colours will bleed out more. With markers most people want them to blend together nicely, and to do that you need to keep the marker colour "wet" while adding new colour next to it (whether it's the same colour or another on top).
I can work pretty much without blenders today due to practice. I know how to work quickly, so I rarely need it. When I started it was super helpfull, though.
It can be tricky to keep blenders clean.
Try to "paint out the new colour" on a scrap sheet of paper, if the blender picks up colours (and it will). If you get it out quickly, this'll often be anough.
With Pantone Tria markers you can buy new marker tips (that are clean). You can do the same for some brands of Copic (probably not Ciao, though. That brand seems to be made to be thrown out, once the markers runs out or breaks. Cheap but replacable).
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Ahhhh.. ^__^ thank you!!
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No, these are done with very expensive professional markers (In this instance Tria markers, which is one of the two most popular and most expensive brands).
Cheap childrens markers wouldn't work at all using techniques like this. They just can't blend the way expensive markers does.
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Sorry. It is possible to make cool things with cheap children's markers, but like said: You cannot use this technique the way I do without professional markers.
My best advice would be for you to text out different techniques with the markers you have on small sketches, and see if you can find a style that works for you.
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wow. Nice colouring.
Umm... when i try this out,it did not work as well as your. (yeah, my colouring skill is terrible). I colour using my markers on my sketch but the markers just leave terrible stain on my drawing. When i colour over my drawing,the marker ink got darker and darker everytime i overlap it. the colouring was super uneven and some part was torn(i think due to i overlap it too many times).
Is it that i used different kind of marker or....(i wanted to buy that kind of marker that u used but for some reason, i can't)
um.. the paper i used is also the kind for using markers.
opp. sorry for the long comment
btw, nice colouring!
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It might very well be the kind of marker you use. If you don't use a high quality marker it can be *very* hard to get the colouring even and not overlapping.
Copic and Tria are the most recognised (and expensive) brands, but others can be decent as well. If you're colouring on marker paper and can't get it even it's either your technique or (more likely) your marker that needs improving.
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Oh thank.yeah, in my country, i hardly find brand like copic or tria i tried many bookstore but all say they do not sell or they are not sure. and i agree that these marker are expensive, i mean really expensive. Before i saw your reply,i found a store that sell marker that are used for colouring (not copic or tria) i just brought 5 of them and it was like 1 week of my pocket money(i am still a student,taking art as one of subject) thank your comment help a lot.
hope u can produce more beautiful artwork!
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Thanks a lot.
Tria and Copic are speciality items. You won't find them in books stores. You need to find specific artist supply stories catering only to artists (or architects). And even then there's no guaranties that they'll carry them.
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Thanks. I'm glad you found it useful.
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Dig har jeg set pΓ₯ Tegnebordet! Du tegner vildt godt.
Og manga tak, det hjalp. 
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This is really helpful. I love how you actually showed examples of common mistakes, like leaving pencil marks behind and not waiting between layers of color. When you see it like that, you realize what a difference it makes.
Thanks for making such a great, detailed tutorial!
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Thanks. I'm glad to know that it's helpful.
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Glad to help. Good luck trying it out.
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Tak skal du have (sΓ₯ lige at du ogsΓ₯ er fra Danmark
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Pencil is called ''blyant'' on norwegian too! ^^
Nice tutorial!
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Thaks a lot. And thanks for the 
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Thank you! This give me much information and ideas. Maybe I should get markers. Any special advices to beginner buying markers??? You got an idea/do you remember how much you markers cost? You propably bought you marhers from special artshop...(?)
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Yes. I did buy them from a special shop. Here's an online shop that sells them for 4 dollars a piece: [link] - You could also go for Copic instead. They are sold at approximately the same price from different shops. [link]
My first advice would be to buy two or three markers first, and try to work with these combined with other materials. Markers are expensive, and not everybody likes them. It sucks to use more than 100 dollars on something that you does not like to work with. Start out small. Buy a skin colour or something else that's hard to get with normal markers. perhaps try to buy both a Tria marker and a Copic marker and see which brand you like the best. If you like them at all.
If you decide to buy lots of markers, it can be an advantage to buy them in sets at special offers or at special discount for the numbers.
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Thank you. You givet me lots of information and advices. I just bought myself watercolur pencils, because my friend recomment them to me. I will first try what I like about them, but after that I could start to search markers...
Thank you one more time. This was really important to me.
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Oh, you're welcome.
Good luck with the watercolour pencils.
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It was MOST useful
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Heh, I never really have considered linearts a problem. That's probably also one of the reasons I don't even bother to show how I make those... (that and the fact that I always forget to scan the sketch).
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Since I've relatively recently acquired a set of markers (that have yet to be used), this'll come in a a handy
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Great.
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how i love to learn others tricks
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Oh, you're welcome.
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Great Tut Rikke!! Fun to read how other materials are used! Thanks for doing this tutorial.
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Thanks a lot.
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